JTDL: Pandemic resources for lawyers, justice system admins, professors, & more
All the justice tech news, events, & jobs fit to reprint.
Editor’s Note
In an attempt at normalcy, I will continue to deliver this newsletter as I always have. However, I’m making changes in light of our current moment. Beyond the content you are used to, I’m expanding the scope of the newsletter to increase its utility and community value.
This change comes in two forms. First, I will be more flexible with the type of news I include. The focus will remain on technology transparency and accountability, but I will now include health topics.
Second, in a time of social distancing, I’m going to greater lengths to make the newsletter a platform for those looking to share justice and technology projects, resources, and writings.
To that end, I have an open call for your work, which is defined broadly. Pieces may include—but are not limited to—traditional law and justice issues; “how-to” articles about work, system advocacy, or civil liberties defense during a pandemic; or it may be a new tool, game, or data project you want feedback on. If you put your thoughts to (digital) paper, send a link by replying to this email or jason@tashea.com. I’ll include public handles of authors so that readers can better connect and support each other.
By now, various writers have pointed out that Isaac Newton figured out gravity and Shakespeare wrote King Lear and MacBeth while weathering pandemics in their respective times. While all signs point to our moment being a social, medical, and economic disaster, I hope that a sliver of a silver lining is that we will have an opportunity to make headway on our long dormant ideas and spark a renaissance in our intellectual corner of the world.
Stay safe, stay in touch, stay at home.
-Jason
News from the Community
A law student-led COVID-19 pro bono work group formed to research issues, including custody, eviction, and paid leave. (COVLaw) (h/t Jenny Kim)
LawSites put together a compendium of free resources for lawyers during the outbreak. (LS) (Bob Ambrogi)
The Justice Collaborative has a set of resources for those dealing with incarcerated people and the Coronavirus. (TJC) (h/t Malia Brink)
As classes go online, I wrote a law review article on Detain/Release, an online simulation to help students understand AI in courts. It is a free resource, and I’m here to help anyone set it up. (NLSIR) (Jason Tashea)
Suffolk Law is hosting virtual brown bag lunches devoted to building law-themed games. (Suffolk) (David Colarusso)
This is a resource for those handling alternative dispute resolution on Zoom. (ODRZoom) (Simon Boehme)
Duke Law has resources for anyone starting a legal tech company. (Duke) (Kelli Raker)
Clio published a how-to-work-from-home for lawyers resource. (Clio) (h/t Molly McDonough)
Theory & Principle has pointers on doing user testing in a time of social distancing. (T&P) (Nicole Bradick)
OneLegal is tracking court closures in California. (OL) (Vanessa Davis)
News
You don’t give up civil liberties during a pandemic. (Slate) COVID-19 and your digital rights. (EFF)
Privacy advocates worry the U.S. could follow other countries use of surveillance to fight Coronavirus. (WaPo) Privacy International is tracking governments’ and private industry’s responses to the outbreak. (PI)
ACLU of Montana provides assistance to protect those in the criminal justice system. (ACLUM)
Here’s how South Korea used law to fight the Coronavirus. (Lawfare) Using emergency measures, the U.K. moves courts online. (Ind) In China, lying about Coronavirus related medical history now affects people’s social credit score. (Abacus)
The pandemic is the tipping point for lawyers and technology competence. (AtL) (h/t Bob Ambrogi)
The American Bar Association created a task force to deal with legal issues arising form the outbreak. (ABA)
Video arraignments in New York are not going smoothly. (CWNYC) Massachusetts limits in-person appearances at state courthouses. (Mass)
iPhone unlocking went up in price because hacking the phones got harder. (vice)
The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld a man’s 12 year sentence for having a cellphone in jail. (WDAM)
Facial recognition is quickly proliferating in London, but the laws are muddled. (Wired UK)
Ryan Calo wrote about robotics and the lessons of cyberlaw. (SSRN)
Events
LITCon at Suffolk Law School has been cancelled due to COVID-19. (Suffolk)
The Empirical Research Workshop and Conference on Standardization is happening at Northwestern Law School, May 6-8, 2020. (NW)
The Partners for Justice conference will be held in Baltimore on May 14, 2020. (PJC)
The Law and Society Association conference is May 28-31, 2020 and will now be held virtually due to the outbreak. (LSA)
Docacon, a conference that teaches docassemble, is June 26 at the Stetson University College of Law in Tampa. (Doca)
We Robot 2020 will take place at the University of Ottawa, but has been rescheduled due to COVID-19 for September, 2020. (UOttawa)
The Seventh National Convening on Research and Data at the American Society of Criminology in D.C. is looking for panelists. The event is Nov. 18-21. (ASC)
Jobs & Opportunities
AI Now Institute has numerous openings. (AI Now)
Arnold Ventures has a bunch of job openings in their various criminal justice tracks. (Arnold)
ATJ Tech Fellows Program is looking for fellows and partner organizations. (ATJ)
Berkeley Law's Technology & Public Policy Clinic is looking for a clinical teaching fellow. (Cal)
Berkeley Technology Law Journal opened its 2020 writing competition. (Cal)
The California Court Digital Service needs a short term web analytics lead. (CCDS)
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has openings in their Justice and Opportunity vertical. (CZI)
Duke Law is looking for an ethical tech clinical director. (Duke)
The Free Law Project is looking for a developer. (FLP)
The Future of Privacy Forum is looking for a policy fellow. (FPF)
Georgetown’s Institute for Technology Law & Policy reopened its student writing competition, deadline is May 31. (GULC)
Good Call, a legal support tech non-profit, needs a volunteer to help compile an online resource center. (GC)
The Harvard Berkman Klein Center is looking for a fellow to research online take-down notices. (BKC)
HiiL, an access to justice non-profit, a posting. (HiiL)
The Illinois Courts are looking for a senior program manager for its legal technology initiatives. (ILCourts)
The Justice System Journal has a call out for papers on the empirical research into indigent defense. (JSJ)
The Lab at D.C. in the mayor’s office is looking for a grad intern. (Lab)
Measures for Justice has numerous open positions in their research and technology sections. (MfJ)
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem needs a data analyst. (NDSH)
Neota Logic, an expert systems platform, is looking for a university and non-profit relationships director, plus other roles. (Neota)
New York Legal Aid Society needs a data quality analyst for their cop accountability project. (NYLAS) (h/t Cynthia Conti-Cook)
City of Oakland needs a data scientist for its police performance project. (Oak)
Paladin, a pro bono platform, is looking for an account manager. (Paladin)
PEW is looking for a civil legal system modernization researcher. (PEW)
Philadelphia Courts need a resaerch assistant. (Phila)
The Philly District Attorney's Office is looking for researchers, data scientists and programmers. (PDAO)
The Policing Project at NYULaw needs a legal director. (PP)
Pro Bono Net has numerous openings in New York for project management and other roles. (PBN)
Quest for Justice is looking for a front end developer and marketing director. (Q4J) (Disclosure: I work for Q4J.)
Recidiviz, a criminal justice data platform, is looking to fill multiple roles. (Recidiviz)
The Stanford Center for Human-centered Artificial Intelligence wants to fill a number of director roles. (HAI)
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office needs a data administrator. (SCDAO)
Swansea University School of Law is filling a number of legal tech and computational law teaching and technical jobs. (SU)
Texas Southern University’s Center for Justice Research is looking for a research analyst. (TSU)
Theory and Principle, a legal software development boutique, needs a back-end dev. (T&P)
Thorn, a platform fighting child sex trafficking, has a number of positions open. (Thorn)
Upturn is looking for summer fellows. (Upturn)
Yale Law School is looking for visiting fellows for the Information Society Project. (ISP)